DIGITAL UNDERGROUND

Sunday, March 9, 2008

A year or so ago I saw a news story about drugs like birth control, anti-depressants and viagra showing up in the drinking water in Los Angeles. The newscaster said that people must be flushing their drugs down the toilet in order for them to end up in our drinking water.

It is difficult for me to imagine large numbers of women flushing birth control pills. Or middle aged men flushing their beloved viagra.

This was all shocking enough. But the news story ended with a matter-of-fact blurb that, by the way, Los Angeles had started cycling treated waste water into the reservoirs used for drinking water. I almost fell out of my seat at how flippant this last comment was thrown into the report.

This news story (linked to below) shows that this is happening nationwide and admits that these drugs show up in the reservoirs because we secrete the excess from our bodies through our urine. The story kind of dances around the inference that we are drinking treated waste water but gets to it eventually.

And fish are being "altered" by these drugs. We are being told that the trace amounts of these pharmaceuticals are too small to affect us. Oh, really? Researchers are finding male fish who are turning into female fish. Some even grow eggs. And we are to believe that continued exposure to this is not going to affect our children? Or ourselves?

Sometimes I feel that we are a generation being used as guinea pigs. With all the genetically modified crops, cows pumped full of growth hormones... all this technology has not had their long term effects tested. One day, years from now, our government will tell us, "Whoops! Sorry about that!"

As more and more soldiers and veterans who have fought in Iraq speak out against the war more and more Americans realize that it is possible to support the troops and still oppose the decisions made by our government. If you are reading this post you probably believe as I do that the best way to support and honor the brave men and women serving in that country is to bring that back as safely and quickly as possible.

I have had a step-brother and nephew serve two tours in Iraq. Luckily the both returned home alive and unharmed. And I've seen the pain and worry in the face of my step-brother's mother.

The organization Irag Veterans Against the War will be hosting events and fundraisers all across the country from March 13th through the 16th. There is a link to a map showing events in an area near you.

This article shows that despite the recent victories, the delegate math facing Hillary Clinton is daunting. Not only will she need to win every remaining primary by a significant margin (margin's she has not been able to generate up to this point), but all indications are that the superdelegates will not contradict the will of the earned delegates.

I just wish it would end so that the Democratic candidate can begin focusing on the general election.

It seems that although Clinton won the general primary election in Texas, Obama will come out a few votes ahead as the caucus votes are counted. Despite the momentum her campaign has gained from the wins on Tuesday the likelihood of her winning with the margins needed in the remaining states is quite slim. Some say impossible.